Taking It Home, Session 1: The Gift Of Love, in the Wonderful Welcome Program
Love is something like the clouds that were in the sky before the sun came out. You cannot touch the clouds, you know; but you feel the rain and know how glad the flowers and the thirsty earth are to have it after a hot day. You cannot touch love either; but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything.
– Annie Sullivan
IN TODAY’S SESSION…
This program uses a Wonder Box that contains different items in each session to introduce the children to a particular intangible gift. In this first session, the Wonder Box was empty to reinforce the idea that intangible gifts, such as today’s gift of love, cannot be seen. The story, The Real Gift is about a child who makes a blanket with his grandmother. The child is upset when the blanket is lost, but the grandmother explains that the real gift was the time they spent together and that gift can never be lost.
The children learned the song “Little Drummer Boy” and discussed the meaning of the intangible gift given by a poor boy who could not offer gifts of gold. The children also played with shadows to illustrate something real that they can see but not touch.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about…
Talk about some special times you have spent together as a family and with friends. Identify some times when children gave or received material gifts and times when no material gifts were exchanged. Take turns trying to name the intangible gifts each of you gave or received when you were together with people you love.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try…
The Faith in Action activity for this session partners children with an adult in the congregation to make a craft together. The older partner takes the finished craft home. The children, however, know they, too, leave with a gift – the time spent making something together with someone in their community. You can find simple crafts appropriate for younger and older people to do together at home on the All Free Crafts website.
FAMILY DISCOVERY
See if your congregational library has or wishes to order the book
A Lamp in Every Corner: A Unitarian
Universalist Storybook by Janeen K. Grohsmeyer (
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Last updated on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.
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